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Category Archives: My Creative Pieces
Simplifying collagraphs
In September 2017 I attended a workshop where I created several collagraph and drypoint plates, supposedly designed to be printed together. The plates have been stored since then as I was never 100% happy with the results and didn’t really … Continue reading
Back to back concertina: Treads
Early in 2021 I drew a montage of tyre treads as a basis for an etching plate. It was etched into a zinc plate, printed in several ways and 2 pieces were made into a stitched booklet for a friend. … Continue reading
Collagraph ‘Journey’ – experimentation
During the 5 day residential collagraph course I attended in January I created several plates and today I’m showing one that was made as a trial for a larger piece of work. I started by cutting away 2 sections from … Continue reading
Project: Hello Yellow
I recently joined a postcard swap challenge. The aim is to print 12 postcards responding to the theme ‘Hello Yellow’ and post 11 of them to a central address. The coordinator then keeps one for the group archives and divides … Continue reading
Project: Reflections from the Pier
In November my husband and I had a few days away in a rented holiday cottage. A beautiful venue, only 8 onsite cottages, lovely helpful management couple and 40 acres for us to roam. The best thing was the view … Continue reading
Brain Clutter: New experimentation
It was late 2021 when I started this project and posted my first Brain Clutter series collagraph (see here) and I’ve been keen to return to the theme ever since. Last week, at a 5 day residential collagraph workshop I … Continue reading
Print commission: Piece 3
For the final piece for this commission I went back to one of my very old linocut pieces based on a drawing of a shoe I did in 2014. The previous two prints I created both relied on damp paper … Continue reading
Print commission: Piece 2
Last week I attended a 4 1/2 day collagraph workshop and created 3 new plates. I decided to try one of them on the handmade Hemp paper I’ve been sent to experiment printing with. The first piece I printed for … Continue reading
Print commission: Piece 1
I was recently engaged to explore printing on handmade Hemp paper by someone who intends to market this paper for sale. I was given a general idea of what was required based on some work I had done previously. Piece … Continue reading
Preparing chine collé
I’ve been painting acid-free tissue paper – to use when printing – in preparation for a 5 day collagraph course I’m about to attend. I used very watered-down acrylic paints, allowed the tissue to dry and then ironed the pieces … Continue reading
Paper experimentation
On recent visits to the papermaking studio I’ve been exploring laminating paper. In papermaking terms this means layering multiple pulled pieces together into a single finished sheet. I started with white: as much as possible recycled cotton rag printing paper … Continue reading
Posted in Design Play, My Creative Pieces, My paper
Tagged Paper making, plant fibre paper
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Print group concertina swap
Every December our print group cut up either failed or excess prints produced during the year and swap with each other to create small concertina books. Our group is full of very experienced printmakers, most of whom specialize in specific … Continue reading
Posted in Design Play, General fun pursuits, My Creative Pieces, My prints
Tagged Printing
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Collagraph: Scribbles – Part 2
Several weeks ago I created a new collagraph plate which I decided to use as a swap project print. I blogged about the trials here. This week I’ve completed a series of 13 – 12 to swap and 1 for … Continue reading
A bit of time out
It’s been a stressful week so it seemed like a good time to take a few minutes away from other people to mess about in the studio with some loud music, a bit of paper and some pens. Going through … Continue reading
Posted in Design Play, My books & journals, My drawing, My painting
6 Comments
Quick monotypes
I had a quick dip into the world of monotypes recently after watching a few short videos. Essentially I spent a bit of time with ink, scrapers and credit cards to see what marks I could make. These two were … Continue reading
Revisiting a collagraph
Back in 2017 I attended a very good and frantically busy workshop exploring a range of printing methods. During the course we each constructed a collagraph plate, Shellacked, then inked and printed them. This was mine: On the left is … Continue reading
Collagraph: Scribbles
Exploring new techniques to create plates I got my mini drill out and, using a fine tip, applied it to the surface of a piece of mountboard. The aim was to produce a range of organic imprecise lines as opposed … Continue reading
Messing about with paint – Day 4
I noticed how similar my colour palettes were in my two previous pieces so decided to make some adjustments. I also took note of my comment that perhaps squiggles – a bit more organic than my blocks and lines – … Continue reading
Posted in Design Play, My painting
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Messing about with paint – Day 3
On day 3 of the challenge I stuck with acrylic paints, as I enjoyed them so much on the first day. After painting this piece I became stuck on what to do with it next. So I left it alone … Continue reading
Posted in Design Play, My painting
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Messing about with paint – Day 1
Last week two friends and I decided to join a 5 day on-line creative challenge. The basis was supposed to be painting but the ethos was pretty much ‘anything goes’. As it was a free thing, designed to enthuse participants … Continue reading
Posted in Design Play, My painting
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Project: etched swans
I made my first etched plates in 2016 and my first hard ground etching was some swans I had drawn. This was pretty boring, simple line work, and my tutor at the time thought adding some water and sky would … Continue reading
Project: Splat
A couple of weeks ago I was searching through my somewhat disorganised sketchbooks for something to translate into a photopolymer intaglio print (a solar plate print). This is my least favourite print style (after screenprinting) for a number of reasons. … Continue reading
Exhibition: Southern Printmakers
As I new member of this exhibiting group I was delighted to see my book ‘minimal’ on display at the Milk Factory Galleries (Pop-up 1 & 2) when I visited on Thursday. It was also an opportunity to see all … Continue reading
Collagraphs with handmade paper
I’ve long been told that it’s difficult to print intaglio on unsized handmade paper, so it was time to give it a go. I always print on quality cotton rag paper, usually 250gsm BFK Rives, so my failures can be … Continue reading
Collagraph: cutting and arranging
Several years ago I printed a series called ‘Other Worlds’ and I’ve now repurposed one of the original collagraph plates. My favourite print from the plate looked like this: I started by cutting the plate into pieces and sealing the … Continue reading
Paper from pulped fibres
A couple of weeks ago I posted about making paper pulp from a variety of materials including denim and hessian. After the workshop there was plenty left for me to use, so I made some paper from the hessian. It’s … Continue reading
Pulping fibres
Last week three of us met at Primrose Park to pulp a variety of fibres to be used to create paper at an upcoming workshop we’re teaching. As there will be several participants it called for a more industrial approach … Continue reading
Abstracting a design
This week I’ve been building resources in my sketchbook. An A5 pencil sketch of TV remote controls sitting on my cutting mat was followed by a closer view of a specific area in Sharpie pen. I picked these as my … Continue reading
Hard cover Coptic Stitch book
I’ve made books using Coptic Stitch in the past but yesterday I explored a method new to me. Previously I’ve worked individual threads up through the text block. So eight holes along the spine equates to 8 separate threads and … Continue reading
Posted in My books & journals, My Creative Pieces
Tagged Book-making, Coptic Stitch book
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Exploring Screen-printing
Last week I attended a 4 day screen-printing course with tutor Julie Ryder. Not only is she a very good practitioner, extremely well versed in the technicalities of the craft, but is also an excellent designer and tutor. Not all … Continue reading
Print swap
At the end of the year our printmaking group always do a swap and make books using a print from each member. It’s a great way to share and have a record of everyone, as some don’t continue the following … Continue reading
Posted in General fun pursuits, My prints
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Kozo: Fibre to Paper
I’ve started transforming some of my kozo fibre (general term for the inner bark of mulberry trees) into sheets of paper. I cut some up and left other bits as long strands. I purchased this as per the photo below … Continue reading
Brain Clutter: Plate 1
New project I’ve had a lot going on recently and have felt a little overloaded with thoughts, conflicts and noise – all internally. My new project, being created as an extension of my recent collagraphs, aims to document some of … Continue reading
Collagraph: Man-made – progress
I first showed this print plate in October where I discovered the issue of using Shellac that had been made for a while and then shaken to remix. Tiny particles had hardened and subsequently transferred to the plate and printed … Continue reading
Collagraph: Lines & Boxes
I’m enjoying exploring new collagraph materials and these 15cm square bases give enough space to quickly create small unified pieces. Stage 1 For this plate I started with varnished mountboard which I lightly sanded to get a roughened surface. Lines … Continue reading
Collagraph: continuing Hexagons
I really enjoyed making this plate and the resulting prints I showed in an earlier blog, so I’ve continued with some colour experimentation. I’ve moved from the warmer sepia, red and orange/yellow hues into a much cooler set of colours; … Continue reading
Collagraph: Hexagons
My new collagraph comes as a result of further experimentation leading from my ‘Man-made’ project in October. The strata has been constructed using a variety of media including, from left to right, Akua carborundum gel, several layers of torn handmade … Continue reading
Collagraph: Man-made
Using minimal materials; essentially mountboard, a couple of pieces of lightweight paper and some adhesive foil, I built a low-relief multi-layered collagraph plate. I cut into a few areas, removing the mountboard surface, thereby encouraging the ink to ‘grab’ the … Continue reading
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